Imjin River

River in North and South Korea
The river is not the namesake of the Imjin War (Japanese invasions in the late 16th century).

Imjin River was the site of two major battles: the Battle of Imjin River during the Imjin war in 1592, and the Battle of the Imjin River that took place during the Korean War.

On November 4, 2018, a 20 member team consisting of 10 people from North Korea and 10 people from South Korea began a joint inter Korean survey intended to lead to the development a Joint Utilization Zone along Imjin River's estuary. The Zone would allow civilians to access the estuary for tourism, ecological protection and the collection of construction aggregate under the protection of militaries from both sides of the Korean border. The inter Korean survey of Imjin River's estuary was completed on December 9, 2018. The new map of the river's estuary, which consists of newly discovered reefs, was to be made public by January 25, 2019. Imjin River is the subject of a famous North Korean popular song, "Rimjingang", named after the river. It was composed in 1957 with lyrics written by North Korean poet Pak Se yong. It is a well known song in North Korea, as it refers to Imjin River as a symbol of freedom flowing from north to south. This song depicts the sadness of a divided homeland and alludes to the infamous history of the river. The song (as "Imujingawa") later became popular in Japan when it was covered by The Folk Crusaders and other artists. It remains popular among Korean communities worldwide, as a song of hope that the Korean people will once again be united and free.